Pop Quiz: Do You Know How to Moisturize?

You've been taking care of your skin for a long time (hopefully) and you know what you're doing. Or do you? Let's just see.

What are the 3 essentials you need to put on your face every day?

        [Insert Jeopardy music here]

OK, we'll just tell you: sunscreen, an antioxidant, an exfoliator.

This is according to NYC dermatologist Dr. Neal Schultz. And he feels equally strongly about how and when they go on. 

Next question: In what order do you put them on your skin?

Wrong!

Although I thought so too, putting it on closest to the sun, as it were, made sense. But it turns out that when sunscreens are tested, they are tested on bare skin. That's how researchers gauge their effectiveness. So if you want them to protect you from damaging rays, they have to be the first thing on your skin.

Wrong! (You're getting the hang of this).

Anti-oxidants do absorb damaging free radicals. But they need to get into skin cells. The sun effectively destroys the anti-oxidant, so they don't do much good on your skin in the daytime. Best to put them on at night, Dr. Schultz says, but he can explain more effectively on his own here.

Depends.

You can go straight to the moisturizer, as long as it's heavier than the previous products. If it's lighter, it won't soak through and be of any use. Lest you think sunscreen is always the thickest stuff, check out La Roche-Posay's Anthelios line -  ultra-light fluid with a matte finish and 45 SPF.

You can also sandwich in an exfoliant, Dr. Schultz told me. Not the facial-scrub kind that you're already using 2 to 3 times per week in your cleansing routine (right?) Instead, a topical glycolic or salicylic acid solution to stimulate collagen production.

And finally — drumroll please — the moisturizer; hydration is essential in your 40s/50s/60s, when your skin is really starting to get dry.

Especially before applying foundation (kind of an oxymoron since it goes on last, but it is the first layer of color, or the base of you makeup palette, so…).

It's about time you were getting the most out of what you're putting on your face. For full effectiveness, the key is the order in which it goes on. 

Check out more of Dr. Schultz's tips on DermTV.com